Orchard heater

ABSTRACT

An orchard heater is disclosed having a dome-shaped combustion chamber with a conical deflector mounted above the dome adjacent the exhaust port. The deflector functions to direct rays of radiant energy radially outward in a horizontal plane directly to the boles of the trees located nearby. The burner assembly of the heater also includes an intermediate chamber which functions to relieve the back-pressure generated to the burner during ignition and provide a continuous flow of fuel to the burner at all times.

United States Patent [191 Frost [45-] May7, 1974 1 ORCHARD HEATER [76] Inventor: Robert Ray Frost, 1070 E. Verdugo Ave., Burbank, Calif. 91501 [22] Filed: Dec. 18, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 99,409

[52] US. Cl 126/595, 431/240, 431/242 [51] Int. Cl A0lg 13/06 [58] Field of Search 126/595; 431/346, 333,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1915 Jordan 431/240 4/1904 Tirrell 431/240 Cochran 922,445 5/1909 431/240 1,637,983. 8/1927 Beckley 431/333 X 2,628,609 2/1953 Bacon 126/595 1,996,098 4/1935 Chase 126/59.5 2,370,116 2/1945 Anderson 126/595 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 594,166 3/1934 Germany 431/346 459,731 1/1937 Great Britain 126/595 Primary Examiner-William E. Wayner Assistant Examiner-William E. Tapolcai, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or FirmJackson & Jones ABSTRACT An orchard heater is disclosed having a dome-shaped combustion chamber with a conical deflector mounted above the dome adjacent the exhaust port. The deflector functions to direct rays of radiant energy radially outward in a horizontal plane directly to the boles of the trees located nearby. The burner assembly of the heater also includes an intermediate chamber which functions to relieve the back-pressure generated to the burner during ignition and provide a continuous flow of fuel to the burner at all times.

11 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 0 PATENTEBIAY 1 1914 saw 1 BF 2 la in} imiiiiilllllll p Z rU/w n y B ORCHARD HEATER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to heaters suitable for use in orchards and groves for the protection of trees and their fruit from freeze damage.

2. Description of the Prior Art Although many types of heaters have been utilized in groves and orchards, they have all suffered from various shortcomings which have severely hampered their utilization.

The most serious shortcoming with present day orchard heaters is that most of the heat generated by these heaters is misdirected. The generated heat is usually directed either vertically, for mixing with the surrounding air, or horizontally, adjacent the ground level. Directing the heat vertically is inefficient because most of the heat is dissipated without ever contacting the trees. Heaters directing heat vertically rarely are operable in temperatures below freezing. Directing the heat horizontally to heat the ground has also proven to be inefficient in outside temperatures approaching thirty degrees Fahrenheit.

Present day burners also suffer from backflow problems in the burners. This backflow condition is created because of the heat and pressure developing at the burner, especially during ignition. This pressure causes a tendency for backflow in the fuel line with the result that at times there is flow in both directions of the line. This phenomenon creates a fluctuation of the flame at the burner which seriously effects the combustion efficiency of the heater.

The heaters mostly affected by backflow problems are the gravity flow heaters, i.e., those heaters which depend on gravity to propel the fuel through the fuel lines. Heaters operating at higher pressures (those in which the fuel is pumped through the lines) are not affected by the back pressures. This is because the back pressure that is developed is not great enough to overcome the pumping pressures in the line. However, the fact that these heaters operate at higher pressures makes it mandatorythat they be operated by engineers. This, of course, raises the operating costs of such heaters, which is undesirable. Moreover, there are always added dangers, such as explosions, in operating heaters under pressures as opposed to gravity flow heaters, which are considerably safer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention obviates the above mentioned shortcomings by providing an orchard heater that utilizes the generated heat more efficiently and operates without any serious backflow problem.

The heater comprises a dome-like combustion chamber having an exhaust port located at the top of the dome. Located immediately above the exhaust port is is filled with steel wool and includes a capillary tube extending therethrough. The capillary tube includes a plurality of capillary holes formed therein which function to permit the fuel to pass therethrough from the chamber to insure the continuous flow of fuel to' the burner at all times.

An important advantage of the present invention is that the generated heat is directed'to the bole of the tree and is neither deflected to the ground nor wasted in the sky.

Another important advantage of the present invention is that the heater operates in a smokeless, sulphurfree manner which generates no carbon monoxide or odors.

Still another advantage of the present invention is that the heater operates in a gravity flow mode while completely eliminating the backflow problem.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the orchard heater of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the heater;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the burner assembly; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the intermediate chamber.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 show an orchard heater, generally indicated by arrow 10, comprising a base 11 supported on a plurality of legs 13. A dome 15, in the shape of a truncated cone, is positioned over the base to form a combustion chamber therein. An exhaust port l7 is formed at the top of the dome 15 to enable the combusted heat to traverse therethrough.

Mounted directly above the exhaust port 17 is a conical radiant heat deflector 19. A burner assembly, comprising a burner 21, extends over a dish-like member 23 located on the base 11. As shown in FIG. 3, the burner 21 is in the form of a spiral having a burner aperture 25 formed at the inner end thereof. An asbestos wick 27 extends within the entire length of the spiral burner and terminates at a screen 29 located just before the burner aperture 25.

The other end of the spiral burner 21 extends into an outlet port 31 of an intermediate chamber 33. FIG. 4 shows the interior of the chamber 33 which includes an inlet port 35 formed at the opposite end thereof.

A capillary tube 37 as a first part or portion of the fuel line 32 extends through the inlet port 35, across the interior of the chamber 33 terminates adjacent the outlet port 31. The terminal of the tube 37 is formed with an orifice 39. It should be noted that a portion of the outlet port 31 communicates with the interior of the chamber 33. The fuel line 32 also includes the initial part of the spiral portion of the burner 21 as a second portion or part.

The tube 37 further includes a plurality of capillary holes 41 longitudinally extending along the length thereof. The interior of the chamber 33 is filled with a quantity of steel wool 43.

Referring back to FIGS. 1 and 2, the orchard heater 10 operates in the following manner. The fuel is fed to the heater 10 through the fuel line by gravity to the spiral portion of the burner 21. The fuel exits through the burner aperture 25 and mixes with the air to ignite within the dome. The heat generated from this combustion travels upwardly through the exhaust 17 to heat the conical deflector 19 to a red-hot condition. in such a condition the radiant deflector 19 directs the rays of radiant energy radially outward therefrom along a horizontal plane. Because the deflector 19 is positioned approximately three feet from the ground the radiant energy does not come in contact with the ground but is emitted directly to the holes of the trees located adjacent the heater 10. It has been found that this direction of heat is the most efficient way of heating the trees and protecting them from freeze damage.

As shown in F I65. 3 and 4, the fuel is fed through the capillary tube 37 into the spiral portion of the burner 21. The wick'27, located within the burner, functions to provide a continuous flow of fuel without any turbulence. It should'be noted that the area of the orifice 39 is approximatelyequal to the area of the burner aperture 25.

Upon ignition of the burner, any back-pressure that develops in the burner tends to act on the orifice 39 of the tube 37. Moroevensuch a back-pressure would also act on the chamber 33 exterior of the tube 37. However, the capillary holes 41 are small enough not to be effected by the back-pressure. Fuel will still flow through the holes 41, into the chamber 33. The fuel will then contact the steel wool 43 and finally the wick 27 to travel to the burner orifice 25.

As a result, any back-pressure developed in the burner will have no effect on the fuel flow and a continuous flow of fuel to the burner is ensured. In this manner the flame on the burner aperture 25 does not flucmate, and as a result a very efficient combustion takes place. Because of this the combustion is smokeless, odorless and completely free of carbon monoxide.

It should be noted that variousmodifications can be made'to the apparatus while still remaining within the purview of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An orchard heater operable from a source of fuel adapted to feed the fuel to the heater by gravity, said heater comprising:

a combustion chamber;

a burner comprising a tube formed in a spiral configuration in said combustion chamber, said burner including a fuel line adaptable for connection to said source of fuel; and

an intermediate chamber having a cross-sectional area larger than said fuel line and operatively interposed between the connection of said fuel line and said burner for continuously supplying fuel to said burner even in the presence of back-pressure which may develop in the fuel line during fuel burner operation.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein a burner aperture is located at the termination of said spiral.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein a quantity of porous fibrous material is contained within said intermediate chamber and the capillary ports extend along a major portion of the fuel line within said intermediate chamber.

4. An orchard heater operable from a source of fuel 5 adapted to feed the fuel to the heater, said heater comprising:

a combustion chamber;

a burner in said combustion chamber having an aperture, said burner including a fuel line adapatable for connection to said source of fuel, and

an intermediate chamber having a cross-sectional area larger than said fuel line and operatively interposed between the connection of said fuel source and said burner, a portion of the fuel line being located within said intermediate chamber and including a plurality of capillary ports extending through the fuel line wall, the size of said ports being small enough to be uneffected by a back pressure acting within said fuel line, the interior of said intermediate chamber communicating with said fuel line downstream from said fuel source and said capillary ports whereby fuel is continuously supplied to said burner even in the presence of back-pressure which may develop in the fuel line I during fuel burner operation. Y

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein said wick extends from the burner aperture to the chamber.

6. The invention of claim 5 wherein a quantity of .steel wool is contained within said intermediate chamber.

7. An orchard heater operable from a source of fuel adapted to feed the fuel to the heater, said heater comprising:

' a combustion chamber;

a burner in said combustion chamber having an aperture, said burner including a'fuel line adapted for connection to said source of fuel;

a wick extending through the interior of said burner tube, and

an intermediate chamber having a cross-sectional area larger than said fuel line and operatively interposed between the connection of said fuel source and said burner, a portion of the fuel line being located within said intermediate chamber and including a plurality of capillary ports extending through the'fuel line wall, the size of said poarts being small area larger than said fuel line and operatively interposed between the connection of said fuel source and said burner;

a quantity of porous fibrous material contained within said intermediate chamber, and

said fuel line comprises two separate portions, a first fuel line portion having a restricted orifice located within said intermediate chamber and including a I plurality of ports extending through said first fuel line wall and a second portion connected to said intermediate chamber and leading to said burner, the restricted orifice positioned adjacent the connection of said second portion and said intermediate chamber, whereby fuel is continuously supplied to said burner even in the presence of backpressure which may develop in said fuel line during fuel burner operation.

9. An outdoor heater operable from a source of liquid fuel adapted to feed the liquid fuel to the heater, said heater comprising:

a combustion chamber;

a burner in said combustion chamber having an aperture;

fuel line means connected to the source of liquid for supplying liquid fuel including a first fuel line having a restricted orifice and a plurality of capillary ports along a portion of the first fuel line extending through the fuel line wall;

an intermediate chamber having a non-porous housing and a cross-sectional area larger than the first fuel line, the housing sealinglyconnected to the first fuel line, the intermediate chamber housing that portion of the first fuel line having the plurality of capillary ports; a quantity of porous fibrous material within the nonporous intermediate chamber housing, and a second fuel line sealingly connected to the intermediate chamber housing and the burner to directly supply the liquid fuel to the burner aperture,the restricted orifice of the first fuel line is positioned adjacent the connection of the second fuel line and the intermediate chamber housing whereby liquid fuel is continually supplied to the burner even in the presence of back pressure which may develop in the second fuel line during burner operation. 10. The invention of claim 9 further including a deflector means for directing radiant energy from said burner in a horizontal plane and including a conical element positioned over said burner.

l l. The invention of claim 10 wherein the apex of the conical element is directed toward said burner. 

1. An orchard heater operable from a source of fuel adapted to feed the fuel to the heater by gravity, said heater comprising: a combustion chamber; a burner comprising a tube formed in a spiral configuration in said combustion chamber, said burner including a fuel line adaptable for connection to said source of fuel; and an intermediate chamber having a cross-sectional area larger than said fuel line and operatively interposed between the connection of said fuel line and said burner for continuously supplying fuel to said burner even in the presence of backpressure which may develop in the fuel line during fuel burner operation.
 2. The invention of claim 1 wherein a burner aperture is located at the termination of said spiral.
 3. The invention of claim 1 wherein a quantity of porous fibrous material is contained within said intermediate chamber and the capillary ports extend along a major portion of the fuel line within said intermediate chamber.
 4. An orchard heater operable from a source of fuel adapted to feed the fuel to the heater, said heater comprising: a combustion chamber; a burner in said combustion chamber having an aperture, said burner including a fuel line adapatable for connection to said source of fuel, and an intermediate chamber having a cross-sectional area larger than said fuel line and operatively interposed between the connection of said fuel source and said burner, a portion of the fuel line being located within said intermediate chamber and including a plurality of capillary ports extending through the fuel line wall, the size of said ports being small enough to be uneffected by a back pressure acting within said fuel line, the interior of said intermediate chamber communicating with said fuel line downstream from said fuel source and said capillary ports whereby fuel is continuously supplied to said burner even in the presence of back-pressure which may develop in the fuel line during fuel burner operation.
 5. The invention of claim 4 wherein Said wick extends from the burner aperture to the chamber.
 6. The invention of claim 5 wherein a quantity of steel wool is contained within said intermediate chamber.
 7. An orchard heater operable from a source of fuel adapted to feed the fuel to the heater, said heater comprising: a combustion chamber; a burner in said combustion chamber having an aperture, said burner including a fuel line adapted for connection to said source of fuel; a wick extending through the interior of said burner tube, and an intermediate chamber having a cross-sectional area larger than said fuel line and operatively interposed between the connection of said fuel source and said burner, a portion of the fuel line being located within said intermediate chamber and including a plurality of capillary ports extending through the fuel line wall, the size of said poarts being small enough to be uneffected by a back pressure acting within said fuel line whereby fuel is continuously supplied to said burner even in the presence of back-pressure which may develop in the fuel line during fuel burner operation.
 8. An orchard heater operable from a source of fuel adapted to feed the fuel to the heater by gravity, said heater comprising: a combustion chamber; a burner in said combustion chamber having an aperture, said burner including a fuel line adaptable for connection to said source of fuel; an intermediate chamber having a cross-sectional area larger than said fuel line and operatively interposed between the connection of said fuel source and said burner; a quantity of porous fibrous material contained within said intermediate chamber, and said fuel line comprises two separate portions, a first fuel line portion having a restricted orifice located within said intermediate chamber and including a plurality of ports extending through said first fuel line wall and a second portion connected to said intermediate chamber and leading to said burner, the restricted orifice positioned adjacent the connection of said second portion and said intermediate chamber, whereby fuel is continuously supplied to said burner even in the presence of back-pressure which may develop in said fuel line during fuel burner operation.
 9. An outdoor heater operable from a source of liquid fuel adapted to feed the liquid fuel to the heater, said heater comprising: a combustion chamber; a burner in said combustion chamber having an aperture; fuel line means connected to the source of liquid for supplying liquid fuel including a first fuel line having a restricted orifice and a plurality of capillary ports along a portion of the first fuel line extending through the fuel line wall; an intermediate chamber having a non-porous housing and a cross-sectional area larger than the first fuel line, the housing sealingly connected to the first fuel line, the intermediate chamber housing that portion of the first fuel line having the plurality of capillary ports; a quantity of porous fibrous material within the non-porous intermediate chamber housing, and a second fuel line sealingly connected to the intermediate chamber housing and the burner to directly supply the liquid fuel to the burner aperture, the restricted orifice of the first fuel line is positioned adjacent the connection of the second fuel line and the intermediate chamber housing whereby liquid fuel is continually supplied to the burner even in the presence of back pressure which may develop in the second fuel line during burner operation.
 10. The invention of claim 9 further including a deflector means for directing radiant energy from said burner in a horizontal plane and including a conical element positioned over said burner.
 11. The invention of claim 10 wherein the apex of the conical element is directed toward said burner. 